Generator output regulator system



Maly 9 1939- J. w. ,FITz' GERALD 2,157,661

GENERATOR OUTPUT REGULATOR SYSTEM Filed Dec. 9, 1937 Patented May 9, 1939 PATENT OFFICE GENERATOR OUTPUI' REGULATOR SYSTEM John W. Fits Gerald, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Briggs Stratton Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation ol Delaware Application December 9, 1937, Serial No. 178,948

Schin.

This invention relates to improvements in output regulators for motor generators such as employed in automobiles for keeping the battery charged, and refers particularly to that type of 6 regulator shown in Patent No. 2,800,257 issued to John W. Fitz Gerald May l1, 1937.

As in the above mentioned patent, the present invention contemplates voltage as well as current control for the regulator, so that the charging rate will be reduced upon the attainment of a predeterminedr voltage across the battery even though the current flow may be insufllcient to operate the regulator. However, making the regulator dependent upon voltage as well as cur-` rent, is apt to cause a constant fluctuation from a. high to a low charging rate whenl a load is applied. To illustrate: assume that the charging rate has been reduced in response to the attainment of a predetermined voltage across the battery. If a load is now applied, the battery voltage will drop quickly, thus causing the regulator to restore the charging rate to a high value, The

voltage again builds up and the charging rate is y again reduced. 'I'his continues as long as the load is on, and where the load consists of a lamp or lamps, it is obvious that an objectionable fluctuation from bright to dim will be inevitable.

The present invention therefore has as an object to providemeans operable upon the application of a load on the system to so control the regulator that the high charging rate will obtain as long as the load is 0n.

With the above and other objects inview which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction,

combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawing illustrates onecomplete example of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

The single gure a diagrammatic illustration of an output regulator, system embodying this invention.

Referring now particularly to the accompanying drawing in which like numerals indicate like parts, the numeral 5 represents generally a generator having an armature I and a field magnet provided with poles 1. The poles 'I are equipped with field windings 8 connected in series and (Cl. P11-414) shunt wound with respectto the armature 8. Brushes 9 and I0 provide terminals for the armature windings and for one side of the eld windings in the customary manner.

The brush 9 is connected to the ground and has one end of the field winding 8 connected thereto, while the brush I0 is connected through a conductor II to the armature I2 of a conventional vibrating-regulator unit I2. Besides v the armature I2, the vibrating regulator unit includes an electromagnet Il, the coil I 5 of which is tapped to divide the same into two sections I5' and l5". The section I5" is at all times connected with the generator, whereas, the section I5' is shorted out of circuit until a predetermined voltage is attained across the battery by an electrothermal switch I6, which, upon opening, inserts the'section I5' in circuit so that the strength of the electromagnet I4 is increased proportionately to cause the armature to respond at th rsswitch is controlled will be described hereinafter.

To enable the entire coil to be connected in the circuit, one side thereof is connected directly with the armature I2, whereas, the tap onthe coil connects with the armature through the switch I6. The other side of the coil is connected to the armature I1 of a reverse current cutout I 8 of conventional design.

As is customary, the cutout I8 embodies a pair of contacts I 9 adapted to be closed when its armature responds to energization of its electromagnet 20. When electromagnet 20 is not energized, a spring 2| holds the armature I1 in a position at which the contacts I9 are disengaged.

A shunt coil 22 is permanently connected with the armature Il and the ground to energize the electromagnet 20 upon initial functioning of the system. Upon energization of the electromagnet 20, its armature I1 is drawn to its operative position, closing the contacts I9, whereupon a series winding 23 is connected in the circuit. One side of the series winding 23 is connected to one of the contacts I9 and its other side connects with a conductor 24 which leads to one side of the battery B. ,The other side of the battery is grounded. The field winding circuit is completed through a conductor 25 which leads to a pair of normally engaged contacts 25. One of these contacts is mounted on the armature I2 of the regulator which is yieldingly held in its contact closing position by a spring 21. From the closed contacts 26, the circuit is completed through the armature lower current flow. The manner in whichl I2 and the conductor II back to the. brush Il.

When the current flowing through the electromagnet coil section Il" attains a predetermined amperage, the spring 21 is overcome 'and the armature I2 is drawn toward the electromagnet opening the ileld circuit at the contacts 23 and inserting a resistance 28 in the ileld circuit. 'I'he resistance 2l is connected in shunt with the armature I2, as shown.

By the introduction of the resistance 28, the eld strength of the generator is appreciably lowered, and consequently its output is reduced. In

this manner, constant amperage is maintained,V

the rate of which is determined by the strength of the spring 21 and the size of the air gap between the electromagnet I4 and the armature I2. Adjustment of either of these factors effects adjustment of the charging rate, as is well known.

The system thus far described, except for the electrothermal switch I6, constitutes a conventional constant current vibrating regulator control, but as in the patent hereinbefore referred to, this invention, in addition to current control, subjects the regulator to voltage control. This voltage control acts through the switch I5 land it opens the switch I8 and thereby increases the magnetic pull of the electromagnet Il by inserting the coil section I5 so that the regulator responds at a lower current value to switch the system from its high charging rate to a predetermined low or trickle rate determined by the value f the resistance 23. l

' The switch I6 is interposed between conductors 29 and 3l so that whenever it is closed, the circuit from the conductor II to the tap on coil I5 extends through conductor 29, a bimetallic4 strip 3| which carries one contact of the switch I6, the closed switch I6, and the conductor 30 to the tap on coil I5.

The bimetallic strip 2I which carries the movable contact of the switch Il is provided with a voltage responsive heater coil ,32, one side of which is connected to the conductor 29 to be connected to the generator output, and the other side thereof is grounded. Hence, when the voltage builds up to the point where the heater coil 32 causes the bimetallic vstrip 3| to flex, the switch I6 is opened, and as a result, the coil section I5' is inserted in the circuit.

Assuming that the switch I6 has been opened in the manner just describedl and that the system is operating on a trickle charging rate,

if a load is now applied, the voltage from the battery will very quickly drop below the value at which the switch I6 opened and consequently the switch will reclose and throw the system back on its high charging rate. As soon as the voltage again reaches the value at which the switch IB opens, the system goes back to the trickle charging rate. .In other words, the thermostatically controlled switch IB will open and close, causing the systemto operate alternately at a low and a high charging rate. The result; as pointed out hereinbefore, is that a lamp or lamps constituting the load fluctuate between bright and dim.

To overcome this objectionable characteristic, an additional thermostatic switch 35 is provided. This switch is similar to the switch I6 and also has its movable contact carried by a bimetallic strip 3l. The heater coil 31 of this thermostatic switch has one side grounded and has its other side connected to the dead side of the load switch 3l so that upon closure of the switch 38, the heater coil 31 is connected across the battery.

the bimetallic strip 33 to ilex in a direction toclose the switch 35. With the closure of the switch 35, the switch I8 is cut out of the circuit so that regardless of its then position, the coil section I5 will be short-circuited so that the system will operate on its high charging rate. The connection from the generator to the coil I5 is now through the conductor 29, the conductor 39, the bimetallic strip 3B, the switch 35, a conductor 40, and the conductor 3l which connects to the tap on coil I5.

Hence, it will be seen that regardless of what the charging rate is at the time the load is applied, the closure of the switch 35 will insure a high charging rate as long as the load remains on the system. In this manner objectionable fluctuation in voltage and its consequent undesirable effects upon the load is entirely eliminated.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In combination: a generator; a battery connected with the generator and adapted to be charged thereby; current responsive means for regulating the charging rate; voltageresponsive means for augmenting the current responsive means to make the same operable at a lower amperage; said voltage responsive means functioning only upon the attainment of a predetermined maximum voltage; means for cor.- necting a load across the battery; and means operable upon connection o1' the load across the battery for cutting the voltage responsive means out of the circuit.

2. In combination: a generator; a battery connected with the generator and adapted to be charged thereby; current responsive means for regulating the charging rate; thermal means operable by the voltage across the battery, but only upon the attainment of a pre-determined maximum voltage for rendering the current responsive means operable at a lower amperage than that for which it is set to operate; means for connecting a load across the battery; and thermal means operable upon connection of the load across the battery for short circuiting said other thermal means.

3. In combination with a generator, a storagev battery connected with -the generator and adapted to be charged thereby and a current responsive regulator for controlling the output of the generator, said current responsive regulator having a magnet coil: means normally short circuiting part of the magnet coil and operable upon the attainment of a pre-determined voltage across the battery for placing all of the magnet coil in circuit to make the regulator responsive to a lower amperage than that for which it is set to operate; means for connecting a load across the battery;l and means rendered operative upon connection of. the load across the battery for short circuiting said voltage responsive means so that part of the magnet coil is short circuited as'long as the load remains connected across the battery.

4. In a battery charging system having a generator .and a current responsive regulatorv for controlling the output of the generator: means operable by the voltage across the battery, but only upon the attainment vof a pre-determined maximum voltage for rendering the current responsive regulator operable at a lower emperage arancel" 3 mear! rendered operative by the connection of determined voltage across the battery for insertthe load across the battery for short circuiting ing said part oi' the coil in circuit so that the the voltage responsive means to make the reguregulator responds to lower the charging rate at Y lator responsive solely to current. a lower amperage than that for which it is semi- 5. Ima battery charging system of the charmeans for connecting a load across the battery 5 acter described. including a regulator having -a ard means rendered operative upon the conneccurrent coil operable upon a pre-determined tion of the load across' the battery for short amperage to actuate the regulator and reduce circuiting said voltage responsive means and the charging rate: voltage responsive means consequently said portion o! the current coil in for normally short circuiting part oi' the coil the regulator.

10 10 and operable upon the attainment oi a pre- JOHN W. FTIZ GERALD. 

